– Health At Fast Food Restaurants –

Trigger Warning: This blog discusses eating, food, and nutrition.

Introduction

Driving down any American city or town, there are fast food restaurants lining the streets. Faced with time constraints from work, childcare, and commuting, many people often turn to convenience foods to save time. Although these restaurants offer a solution to lost time in terms of food preparation and clean up, they simultaneously propose a new problem: a poor diet. According to a 2015 review, fast food is often high in sugar, salt, saturated or trans fats, and many processed preservatives, while also lacking beneficial nutrients. The goal of this blog is to answer the question: “Which fast food items from various restaurants best fit health-conscious dietary needs?” By categorizing all of the menu items at the most popular fast-food restaurants, we aim to provide readers with information that might influence their next order. Should you find yourself at Arby’s, Burger King, Chick-Fil-A, Dairy Queen, McDonald’s, Sonic, Subway, or Taco Bell, we hope that you’ll be equipped with exactly what you need to know in order to stick to your health goals.

Suggested Daily Nutrition

For reference, here are the average daily requirements for various types of nutrition:

  • Calories: 2000-2500 kcal/day for men, and 1600-2000 kcal/day for women.
  • Protein: 0.8-1.0 g/kg of body weight/day.
  • Carbohydrates: 45-65% of total daily calories, or at least 130 g/day.
  • Fat: 20-35% of total daily calories, or at least 20-35 g/day.
  • Cholesterol: Less than 300 milligrams per day for most adults, and less than 200 milligrams per day for individuals with heart disease or high blood cholesterol levels.
  • Sodium: Less than 2,300 milligrams per day for most adults, and less than 1,500 milligrams per day for individuals with high blood pressure, kidney disease, or other health conditions.
  • Sugar: No more than 25 grams per day for women and 38 grams per day for men.

Data & Limitations

Our data is from Kaggle and was created for the purpose of analyzing the health of different fast food items. The full data set can be found HERE, where you can view other variables that were not a part of our analysis.

A possible limitation of our data analysis is the fact that the nutritional information or availability of certain menu items could differ depending on the location. Our data does not account for this variability. Another limitation is that we focus on two kinds of nutrients at a time. It is difficult to get a total picture of health when you are only given enough information to compare two health components. To remedy this, we provide a matrix of plots with comparisons for all our variables at the end of each restaurant’s analysis.

Arbys

Arby’s is known for it’s food items with meat in them. The Arby’s commercial solgan saying, “We have the meats” is catering to an audience of people looking for high protien items. The graph and table below show the menu items offered at Arby’s locations all around the US grouped into 4 different clusters.

Calories and Protein:

Scatterplot

Click on the points to learn more about the menu items or click on the legend to isolate the clusters.

Cluster Details

calories protein size withinss cluster
483.8462 26.30769 13 35928.46 1
950.0000 46.00000 3 19834.00 2
678.3333 37.29167 24 71350.29 3
258.6667 15.60000 15 76084.93 4
Lower Average for Calories/Protien Bring on the Calories and Protein! Higher Average for Calories/Protien If you’re on a diet . . .
Arby-Q Sandwich Pecan Chicken Salad Sandwich Beef ’n Cheddar Mid Arby’s Melt
Beef ’n Cheddar Classic Triple Decker Sandwich Bourbon BBQ Brisket Sandwich Classic Roast Beef
Buttermilk Buffalo Chicken Sandwich Ultimate BLT Bourbon BBQ Chicken Sandwich Ham & Swiss Melt
Buttermilk Crispy Chicken Sandwich Bourbon BBQ Steak Sandwich 2 piece Prime-Cut Chicken Tenders
Classic French Dip & Swiss/Au Jus Buttermilk Chicken Bacon & Swiss 3 piece Prime-Cut Chicken Tenders
Double Roast Beef Buttermilk Chicken Cordon Bleu Sandwich Buffalo Chicken Slider
Grand Turkey Club Fire-Roasted Philly Steak Chicken Tender ’n Cheese Slider
Roast Beef Gyro Greek Gyro Corned Beef ’n Cheese Slider
Roast Turkey & Swiss Wrap Half Pound Beef ’n Cheddar Sandwich Ham ’n Cheese Slider
Super Roast Beef Half Pound French Dip & Swiss Jalapeno Roast Beef ’n Cheese Slider
Turkey Gyro Half Pound Roast Beef Sandwich Pizza Slider
Crispy Chicken Farmhouse Salad Loaded Italian Sandwich Roast Beef ’n Cheese Slider
Greek Gyro Salad Pecan Chicken Salad Flatbread Turkey ’n Cheese Slider
5 piece Prime-Cut Chicken Tenders Chopped Side Salad
Reuben Sandwich Roast Turkey Farmhouse Salad
Roast Turkey & Swiss Sandwich
Roast Turkey, Ranch & Bacon Sandwich
Roast Turkey, Ranch & Bacon Wrap
Smoke Mountain w/ Beef Short Rib
Smokehouse Beef Short Rib Sandwich
Smokehouse Brisket
Three Cheese Steak Sandwich
Turkey Avocado Club
Super Greek Salad

Matrix

What Should I Order?

Each cluster represents a grouping of menu items with different levels of protien and calories. Group 1 is labeled as Lower Average for Calories/Protien because the food items in that cluster contain an average of 483 calories and 26 grams of protein. Group 2 is labeled as Bring on the Calories and Protein! because it has the highest levels of calories and protein for all the groups with an average of 950 calories and 46 grams of protien. Choosing a menu item from this category would be a good idea if you are looking for a big filling meal that is high in protien. Higher Average for Calories/Protien is the name of group 3 because those items have an average of 678 calories and 37 grams of proteins. The final group 4 is labled If you’re on a diet… because these menu items are catering to people who want to consume a lighter meal that is not heavy in calories or protien. The averages from this group are 258 calories and 15 grams of protein.

Burger King

Burger King is known for it’s hamburgers, hence the name of the fast food restaurant. The graph and table below show the menu items offered at Burger King locations all around the US grouped into 3 different clusters.

Calories and Protein:

Scatterplot

Click on the points to learn more about the menu items or click on the legend to isolate the clusters.

Cluster Details

calories protein size withinss cluster
654.8148 30.37037 27 247228.4 1
345.5172 16.27586 29 198721.0 2
1052.3077 59.92308 13 384341.7 3
Average For Burger King Least Protien/Calorie Dense Items More Rich in Calories/Protien
Bacon King Jr Bacon Cheeseburger American Brewhouse King
Double Bacon Cheeseburger Bacon Cheeseburger Deluxe Bacon & Swiss Sourdough King
Extra Long Cheeseburger Cheeseburger Bacon King
Homestyle Cheeseburger Double Cheeseburger BBQ Bacon King
Sourdough King Single Double Hamburger Double Quarter Pound King
Bacon & Cheese Whopper Hamburger Jalapeno King Sandwich
WHOPPER w/o Cheese Rodeo Burger Mushroom & Swiss King
WHOPPER w/ Cheese WHOPPER JR. w/o Cheese Rodeo King
Bacon Cheddar Ranch Chicken Salad w/ grilled Chicken & Dressing WHOPPER JR. w/ Cheese Sourdough King Double
Bacon Cheddar Ranch Chicken Salad w/ crispy Chicken & Dressing Garden Grilled Chicken Salad w/ Grilled Chicken, no dressing Steakhouse King
Chicken BLT Salad w/ Grilled Chicken Garden Grilled Chicken Salad w/ Crispy Chicken, no dressing DOUBLE WHOPPER w/o Cheese
Chicken BLT Salad w/ Crispy Chicken Side Caesar Salad with dressing DOUBLE WHOPPER w/ Cheese
Chicken Caesar Salad w/ Grilled Chicken Side Garden Salad and Avocado Ranch Dressing 20 Piece Chicken Nuggets
Chicken Caesar Salad w/ Crispy Chicken BBQ Bacon Crispy Chicken Sandwich
Chicken, Apple & Cranberry Salad w/ Grilled Chicken BK VEGGIE Burger
Chicken, Apple & Cranberry Salad w/ Crispy Chicken Chicken Burger
Bacon Cheddar Ranch Crispy Chicken Sandwich Chicken Fries
Big Fish Sandwich 4 Piece Chicken Nuggets
Chicken Cordon Bleu Sandwich 6 Piece Chicken Nuggets
Chicken Parmesan Sandwich Chicken Nuggets (10pc)
Crispy Buffalo Chicken Melt Crispy Chicken Jr. 
Crispy Chicken Sandwich Grilled Chicken Sandwich
Original Chicken Sandwich Grilled Chili Cheese Dog
Sourdough Chicken Club Grilled Hot Dog
Spicy Chicken Nuggets Jalapeno Chicken Fries
Spicy Crispy Chicken Sandwich Pretzel Chicken Fries
Spicy Crispy Jalapeno Chicken Sandwich Rodeo Crispy Chicken Sandwich
4 Piece Spicy Chicken Nuggets
Spicy Crispy Chicken Jr. 

Matrix

What Should I Order?

Each cluster represents a grouping of menu items with different levels of protien and calories. Group 1 is labeled as Average for Calories/Protien because the food items in that cluster contain an average of 654 calories and 30 grams of protein. Group 2 is labeled as Least Protien/Calorie Dense Items because it has the lowest levels of calories and protein for all the groups with an average of 345 calories and 16 grams of protien. Choosing a menu item from this category would be a good idea if you are trying to follow a diet of healthier foods. More Rich in Calories/Protien is the name of group 3 because those items have an average of 1052 calories and 59 grams of proteins. If you are looking to bulk up and eat a meal that is very filling, this is the category to choose from.

Chick-Fil-A

Chick-Fil-A is known for it’s fast food meals like chicken and french fries. The graph and table above show the menu items offered at Chick-Fil-A locations all around the US grouped into 3 different clusters.

Calories and Sodium:

Scatterplot

Click on the points to learn more about the menu items or click on the legend to isolate the clusters.

Cluster Details

calories sodium size withinss cluster
915.0000 3090.0000 2 655850.0 1
210.7692 641.5385 13 924461.5 2
484.1667 1380.8333 12 820583.3 3
Very Salty On the lower side for Calories/Sodium Average For Chick-Fil-A
30 piece Chicken Nuggets Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich Chargrilled Chicken Club Sandwich
Chicken Enchiladas Meal Kit Chick-n-Slider 4 piece Chick-n-Strips
1 Piece Chick-n-Strips Chicken Deluxe
2 Piece Chick-n-Strips 12 piece Chicken Nuggets
3 Piece Chick-n-Strips Chicken Salad Sandwich
4 piece Chicken Nuggets Chicken Sandwich
6 piece Chicken Nuggets Spicy Grilled Chicken Sub Sandwich
8 piece Chicken Nuggets Regular Grilled Chicken Sub Sandwich
4 Piece Grilled Chicken Nuggets Smokehouse BBQ Bacon Sandwich
6 Piece Grilled Chicken Nuggets Spicy Chicken Sandwich
8 piece Grilled Chicken Nuggets Spicy Deluxe
12 Piece Grilled Chicken Nuggets Chicken Parmesan Meal Kit
Chargrilled Chicken Cool Wrap

Matrix

What Should I Order?

Each cluster represents a grouping of menu items with different levels of sodium and calories. Group 1 is labeled as Very Salty because the food items in that cluster contain the heighest amounts of calories and sodium with an average of 915 calories and 3090 mg of sodium. Group 2 is labeled as On the lower side for Calories/Sodium because it has the lowest levels of calories and sodium for all the groups with an average of 210 calories and 641 mg of sodium. Choosing a menu item from this category would be a good idea if you are trying to follow a diet of healthier foods which contain less salt. Average For Chick-Fil-A is the name of group 3 because those items have an average of 484 calories and 1383 mg of sodium.

Dairy Queen

While Dairy Queen is most known for their perfect swirls of soft-serve ice cream, many locations have a full fast food menu. In my graph and tables below, all 42 menu items offered at Dairy Queen across the country are grouped together into five different clusters based on their total calories and total fat.

Calories and Total Fat:

Scatterplot

Click on the points to learn more about the menu items or click on the legend to isolate the clusters.

Cluster Details

Calories Total_Fat Size Withiness cluster
568.5714 30.64286 14 38534.64 1
812.5000 49.00000 4 13481.00 2
1085.0000 67.00000 4 42410.00 3
340.5556 17.61111 18 45680.72 4
85.0000 1.00000 2 8452.00 5
Average For Dairy Queen On the Richer Side Most Fatty/Calorie Dense Items Lower Calorie and Fat Items The Few Low Calorie/Fat Items
1/4 lb. Bacon Cheese GrillBurger 1/2 lb. GrillBurger with Cheese 1/2 lb. FlameThrower® GrillBurger Original Cheeseburger Grilled Chicken Garden Greens Salad
1/4 lb. GrillBurger with Cheese Chili Cheese Mega Dog 4 Piece Chicken Strip Basket w/ Country Gravy Bacon Cheese Dog Side Salad
1/4 lb. Mushroom Swiss GrillBurger DQ Ultimate® Burger 6 Piece Chicken Strip Basket w/ Country Gravy Cheese Dog
Original Double Cheeseburger Steak Finger Basket Large Cheese Curds Chili Cheese Dog
Regular Cheese Curds Chili Dog
Crispy Fish Sandwich Hot Dog
Deluxe Double Cheeseburger Relish Dog
Deluxe Double Hamburger Barbecue Pork Sandwich
Pork Tenderloin Sandwich Breaded Mushrooms
Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich Corn Dog
Chicken Mozzarella Sandwich Deluxe Cheeseburger
Crispy Chicken BLT Salad Deluxe Hamburger
Crispy Chicken Sandwich 3 chicken strips Chicken Strips
Turkey BLT Sandwich Crispy Chicken Garden Greens Salad
Crispy Chicken Wrap
Grilled Chicken BLT Salad
Grilled Chicken Sandwich
Grilled Chicken Wrap

Matrix

What Should I Order?

The first cluster contains 14 menu items, which are listed under “Average for Dairy Queen” This is labeled this way because these menu items have an average of 568.5714 calories per serving, and 30.64 grams of fat, which is right in the middle for these five groups. If you find yourself at a Dairy Queen and want to feel full and don’t mind consuming a bunch of calories and fat, choosing an item from this list would be a good idea. The second cluster is labeled “On the Richer Side” and these menu items contain an average of 812.5 calories and 49 grams of total fat. These four items contain the second-highest average amount of calories and fat for Dairy Queen. So, if you are at Dairy Queen, and want to have a large meal that is very satisfying, these four items may be a good choice. The third cluster also contains four items, which have an average of 1,085 calories, and 67 grams of total fat. This is labeled “Most Fatty/Calorie Dense Items” because these four items are the items with the highest calories and fat that DQ offers. So, if you plan on ordering any of these four items, I would be informed that you are consuming a lot of fat and a lot of calories. The fourth Cluster is labeled “lower calorie and fat food items” because it contains some of the least rich items on the menu. These items have an average of 340.5556 calories and only 17.611 grams of total fat. These 18 items would be a good choice for anyone who is looking to have a lighter meal and still feel satisfied after eating it. The fifth and final Category is labeled “The Few Low Calorie/Fat Items” and contains the two salads that Dairy Queen has to offer. These two salads have an average of 85 calories and only 1 gram of fat. So, if you are on a diet or want a small snack while at Dairy Queen, these two options are perfect for you.

McDonald’s

When someone thinks of American food, McDonald’s is immediately brought to mind. The classic burger and fries, ice cream cone, and chicken nuggets were all perfected by McDonald’s. Almost everyone finds themselves at a McDonald’s at some point in their lives, so this diagram and tables should help to make an informed decision when ordering at McDonald’s.

Calories and Total Fat:

Scatterplot

Click on the points to learn more about the menu items or click on the legend to isolate the clusters.

Cluster Details

Calories Total_Fat Size Withiness cluster
714.5455 34.59091 22 277310.8 1
2430.0000 141.00000 1 0.0 2
383.7931 17.68966 29 421023.0 3
1444.0000 79.60000 5 289577.2 4
Average For McDonalds The Fattiest and Most Calorie Dense Item on the Menu Least Fatty/Calorie Dense Items High Calories and Fat
Single Bacon Smokehouse Burger 20 piece Buttermilk Crispy Chicken Tenders Artisan Grilled Chicken Sandwich Double Bacon Smokehouse Burger
Grilled Bacon Smokehouse Chicken Sandwich Big Mac 10 piece Buttermilk Crispy Chicken Tenders
Crispy Bacon Smokehouse Chicken Sandwich Cheeseburger 12 piece Buttermilk Crispy Chicken Tenders
Double Quarter Pounder® with Cheese Classic Chicken Sandwich 40 piece Chicken McNuggets
Garlic White Cheddar Burger Double Cheeseburger 10 piece Sweet N’ Spicy Honey BBQ Glazed Tenders
Crispy Garlic White Cheddar Chicken Sandwich Filet-O-Fish®
Maple Bacon Dijon 1/4 lb Burger Grilled Garlic White Cheddar Chicken Sandwich
Grilled Maple Bacon Dijon Chicken Sandwich Hamburger
Crispy Maple Bacon Dijon Chicken Sandwich Lobster Roll
Pico Guacamole 1/4 lb Burger McChicken
Crispy Pico Guacamole Chicken Sandwich McDouble
Premium Buttermilk Crispy Chicken Deluxe Sandwich McRib
Signature Sriracha Burger Grilled Pico Guacamole Chicken Sandwich
Grilled Signature Sriracha Chicken Sandwich Premium Crispy Chicken Deluxe Sandwich
Crispy Signature Sriracha Chicken Sandwich Quarter Pounder® with Cheese
Sweet BBQ Bacon 1/4 lb Burger 3 piece Buttermilk Crispy Chicken Tenders
Grilled Sweet BBQ Bacon Chicken Sandwich 4 piece Buttermilk Crispy Chicken Tenders
Crispy Sweet BBQ Bacon Chicken Sandwich 4 Piece Chicken McNuggets
6 piece Buttermilk Crispy Chicken Tenders 6 Piece Chicken McNuggets
20 Piece Chicken McNuggets 10 Piece Chicken McNuggets
4 piece Sweet N’ Spicy Honey BBQ Glazed Tenders Premium Asian Salad w/o Chicken
6 piece Sweet N’ Spicy Honey BBQ Glazed Tenders Premium Asian Salad w/ Grilled Chicken
Premium Asian Salad w/ Crispy Chicken
Premium Bacon Ranch Salad w/o Chicken
Premium Bacon Ranch Salad w/ Grilled Chicken
Premium Bacon Ranch Salad w/ Crispy Chicken
Premium Southwest Salad w/o Chicken
Premium Southwest Salad w/ Grilled Chicken
Premium Southwest Salad w/ Crispy Chicken

Matrix

What Should I Order?

The 57 menu items that can be found at McDonald’s are categorized into four different clusters based on calories and total fat. The 22 items in the first cluster labeled “Average for Mcdonalds” and displayed in the graph with the army green color have 714.5455 calories on average and 34.59 average grams of total fat. These items would be good choices for someone that is fairly hungry and wants a hearty meal that is not overly rich. The second cluster labeled “The Fattiest and Most Calorie Dense Item on the Menu, and is labeled in bright green on the graph only contains one item. This item is the 20-piece Buttermilk Crispy Chicken Tenders, which contains 2,430 calories, and 141 grams of fat. This item contains over the daily recommended calories for a person, and over four times the recommended amount of fat per day. So, this item is only recommended for someone looking to share the food with someone else, or someone who needs to consume a lot more calories and fat than the average person. The third cluster is labeled Least Fatty/Calorie dense items and contains 29 menu items. This cluster contains the least fatty items on the menu at McDonald’s, shown in blue on the graph. However, the numbers are still rather high. The average calories for this cluster are 383.79 and the average fat is 17.68. So, if you are looking for the least calorie-dense items at McDonald’s, this is the list for you. The final cluster is labeled High Calories and Fat and is shown in purple on the graph. This cluster contains five items and are the highest in fat and calories besides the one item in the second cluster. These items have an average of 1,444 calories and 79.6 grams of total fat. So, if you are looking for a large and very filling meal, these items are a good choice for you.

Sonic

Sonic is known for its comedic commercials and unique drive-in setup. However, they also are popular for their greasy fast food. In the graph and tables below, the 53 menu items offered at Sonic are split into three categories based on their calories and protein.

Calories and Protein:

Scatterplot

Click on the points to learn more about the menu items or click on the legend to isolate the clusters.

Cluster Details

Calories Protein Size Withiness cluster
377.5000 18.66667 24 189883.3 1
682.1053 32.78947 19 150000.9 2
1146.0000 47.60000 10 128210.4 3
Low Calorie and Protein Middle Calories and Protein Extremely Calorie and Protein Rich
Jr. Burger Hatch Green Chile Cheeseburger Super Sonic Bacon Double Cheeseburger (w/mayo)
Jr. Chili Cheeseburger Jalapeno Burger Super Sonic Double Cheeseburger W/ Mustard
Jr. Deluxe Burger Jr. Double Cheeseburger Super Sonic Double Cheeseburger W/ Ketchup
Jr. Deluxe Cheeseburger Sonic Bacon Cheeseburger (w/mayo) Super Sonic Double Cheeseburger W/ Mayo
Veggie Burger W/ Ketchup Sonic Burger W/ Mustard Super Sonic Jalapeno Double Cheeseburger
Veggie Burger With Mustard Sonic Burger W/ Ketchup Buffalo Dunked Ultimate Chicken Sandwich
Veggie Burger W/ Mustard Sonic Burger W/ Mayonnaise Garlic Parmesan Dunked Ultimate Chicken Sandwich
Grilled Chicken Sandwich Sonic Cheeseburger W/ Mustard 3 Piece Super Crunch Chicken Strip Dinner
Chicken Strip Sandwich Sonic Cheeseburger W/ Ketchup 4 Piece Super Crunch Chicken Strip Dinner
3 Piece Crispy Chicken Tender Dinner Sonic Cheeseburger W/ Mayonnaise 5 Piece Super Crunch Chicken Strip Dinner
5 Piece Crispy Chicken Tender Dinner Grilled Asiago Caesar Chicken Club Sandwich
Small Jumbo Popcorn Chicken Crispy Asiago Caesar Chicken Club Sandwich
Small Spicy Jumbo Popcorn Chicken Crispy Chicken Sandwich
3 Piece Super Crunch Chicken Strips Deluxe Ultimate Chicken Sandwich
4 Piece Super Crunch Chicken Strips Large Jumbo Popcorn Chicken
Ultimate Chicken Club Large Spicy Jumbo Popcorn Chicken
All Beef All-american Style Dog – 6” 5 Piece Super Crunch Chicken Strips
All Beef Chicago Dog – 6” Traditional Ultimate Chicken Sandwich
All Beef Chili Cheese Coney – 6” Footlong Quarter Pound Coney
All Beef New York Dog – 6”
All Beef Regular Hot Dog – 6”
Cheesy Bacon Pretzel Dog - 6 In.
Corn Dog
The Original Pretzel Dog

Matrix

What Should I Order?

The first cluster named, “Low Calorie and Protein” and labeled in green contains the 24 lowest-calorie and protein-rich items on the menu. These items would be a good choice for anyone who is looking for the lightest menu items from Sonic. This cluster has an average calorie count of 377.5 and an average of 18.66 grams of protein. The second cluster, labeled “Middle Calories and Protein” contains the 19 menu items at Sonic that contain the average amount of calories and protein that are offered at Sonic. These items would be a good choice for anyone wanting to leave Sonic to feel full and satisfied and eat plenty of protein to work to fulfill their daily requirement. This cluster is labeled in blue on the graph and has an average of 682.1 calories and 32.789 grams of protein on average. Finally, the last cluster is labeled in purple on the graph and is titled “Extremely Calorie and protein-rich. These 10 menu items are perfect for a customer who is looking to consume a lot of calories and protein. This cluster contains items with an average of 1,146 calories, and 47.6 grams of protein. Hopefully, this list helps you to decide which menu item you would like to order.

Subway

In 2020, Ireland’s Supreme Court announced its ruling in a years-long legal battle: “Subway bread is not bread.” Under a 1972 law, Ireland deemed that the sugar content of bread cannot exceed 2% of the weight of flour in the dough. Subway bread was found to have a sugar content of about 10%.

Why is this a problem? In the United States, the average adult consumes an estimated 17 teaspoons of sugar each day. That accounts for 14% of total calorie intake in adults following a 2,000-calorie diet. Consuming too much sugar can increase the risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

Calories & Sugar:

Scatterplot

Click on the points to learn more about the menu items or click on the legend to isolate the clusters.

Cluster Details

Calories Sugar Size Withiness cluster
538.1481 10.333333 27 199921.4 1
883.4615 15.076923 26 475432.3 2
250.9302 6.930233 43 364115.6 3
Mild Calorie, Mild Sugar Content High Calorie, High Sugar Content Low Calorie, Low Sugar Content
Footlong B.L.T. Footlong BBQ Rib Sandwich 6” B.L.T.
6” BBQ Rib Sandwich Footlong Big Hot Pastrami Kids Mini Sub Black Forest Ham
6” Big Hot Pastrami Footlong Big Philly Cheesesteak 6” Black Forest Ham
6” Big Philly Cheesesteak Footlong Carved Turkey & Bacon w/ Cheese 6” Carved Turkey
Footlong Black Forest Ham Footlong Chicken & Bacon Ranch Melt 6” Cold Cut Combo
Footlong Carved Turkey Footlong Chicken Pizziola Melt 6” Oven Roasted Chicken
6” Carved Turkey & Bacon w/ Cheese Footlong Cold Cut Combo Kids Mini Sub Roast Beef
6” Chicken & Bacon Ranch Melt Footlong Corned Beef Reuben 6” Roast Beef
6” Chicken Pizziola Melt Footlong Italian B.M.T. 6” Rotisserie Style Chicken
6” Corned Beef Reuben Footlong Italian Hero 6” Steak and Cheese
6” Italian B.M.T. Footlong Meatball Marinara 6” Subway Club
6” Italian Hero Footlong Spicy Italian 6” Subway Melt (includes cheese)
6” Meatball Marinara Footlong Steak and Cheese 6” Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki
Footlong Oven Roasted Chicken Footlong Subway Melt (includes cheese) 6” Turkey & Bacon Avocado
Footlong Roast Beef Footlong Subway Seafood Sensation Kids Mini Sub Turkey Breast
Footlong Rotisserie Style Chicken Footlong Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki 6” Turkey Breast
6” Spicy Italian Footlong Tuna 6” Turkey Breast & Ham
Footlong Subway Club Footlong Turkey & Bacon Avocado Kids Mini Sub Veggie Delite
6” Subway Seafood Sensation Footlong Turkey Italiano Melt (with Provolone) 6” Veggie Delite
6” Tuna Footlong Veggie Patty 6” Veggie Patty
Footlong Turkey Breast Chipotle Southwest Steak & Cheese Wrap Autumn Carved Turkey Salad
Footlong Turkey Breast & Ham Rotisserie-Style Chicken Caesar Wrap B.L.T. Salad
6” Turkey Italiano Melt (with Provolone) Turkey, Bacon & Guacamole Wrap Big Philly Cheesesteak Salad
Footlong Veggie Delite Cheese & Veggies Pizza Black Forest Ham Salad
Big Hot Pastrami Melt Salad Pepperoni Pizza Buffalo Chicken Salad (with Ranch dressing)
Chicken & Bacon Ranch Melt Salad (includes Ranch dressing) Sausage Pizza Carved Turkey & Bacon w/ Cheese Salad
Cheese Pizza Carved Turkey Salad
Cold Cut Combo Salad
Double Chicken Salad
Italian B.M.T.® Salad
Italian Hero Salad
Meatball Marinara Salad
Oven Roasted Chicken Salad
Roast Beef Salad
Spicy Italian Salad
Steak & Cheese Salad
Subway Club Salad
Subway Melt® Salad
Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki Salad
Tuna Salad
Turkey Breast & Ham Salad
Turkey Breast Salad
Veggie Delite Salad

Matrix

What Should I Order?

Although an order at Subway can be highly customized, the visualizations above take a look at 96 items on their menu. We can split them into three categories based on their calories and sugar content. The first group, “Mild Calorie, Mild Sugar Content”, is red on the scatter plot. It’s worth noting that, although these options might be good for someone aiming for a calorie-deficit, there is a lot of variability in the sugar content - so one should choose wisely. This cluster has an average calorie count of 538 and an average of 10 grams of sugar.

The second cluster, labeled “High Calorie, High Sugar Content” are items at Subway that you might want to avoid for a more health-conscious diet. These are colored green on our scatter plot. Most notably, the Footlong Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki is the item with the highest sugar-level. The sugar content in this single item is almost double the suggested daily sugar intake amount. This cluster has an average of 883 calories and 15 grams of sugar on average.

Finally, the last cluster is blue on the graph and is titled “Low Calorie, Low Sugar Content”. These menu items are perfect for someone who is looking to consume a meal that is light in calories, while staying below the suggested daily sugar intake. The variation in this group is key: there are salads, meat-based sandwiches, and veggie sandwiches. This cluster contains items with an average of 251 calories, and 7 grams of sugar.

Taco Bell

Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in your blood. Your body needs cholesterol to build healthy cells, but too much of it promotes the development fatty deposits in your blood vessels. Eventually, these deposits grow, making it difficult for enough blood to flow through your arteries. If these deposits break suddenly and form a clot, it can lead to heart attack or stroke.

Taco Bell is home to a variety of Mexican-inspired foods, including tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and nachos. For many years, it has been the largest chain serving Mexican food in the United States with over 7,000 locations. The question is: Considering that almost 2 in 5 adults in the United States have high cholesterol, is Taco Bell a good choice for those at a higher risk of developing a heart condition?

Calories and Cholesterol:

Scatterplot

Click on the points to learn more about the menu items or click on the legend to isolate the clusters.

Cluster Details

Calories Cholesterol Size Withiness cluster
249.7561 25.73171 41 202225.6 1
688.6207 56.72414 29 206558.6 2
462.4444 39.77778 45 193328.9 3
Low Calorie, Low Cholesterol High Calorie, High Cholesterol Mild Calorie, Mild Cholesterol
Chicken Soft Taco Cantina Power Burrito - Chicken 1/2 lb.* Cheesy Potato Burrito
Cool Ranch® Doritos® Double Decker® Taco Cantina Power Burrito - Steak 1/2 lb.* Combo Burrito
Cool Ranch® Doritos® Locos Taco Cantina Power Burrito - Veggie 7-Layer Burrito
Cool Ranch® Doritos® Locos Taco Supreme Chicken Crunchy Cheesy Core Burrito Bean Burrito
Crunchy Taco Steak Crunchy Cheesy Core Burrito Beefy 5-Layer Burrito
Crunchy Taco Supreme® Beef Crunchy Cheesy Core Burrito Beefy Fritos® Burrito
Double Decker® Taco Chicken Quesarito Black Bean Burrito
DOUBLE DECKER® Taco Supreme® Steak Quesarito Burrito Supreme® – Beef
Spicy Sweet Double Stacked Taco Beef Quesarito Burrito Supreme® - Chicken
Cool Ranch Habanero Double Stacked Taco Smothered Burrito - Beef Burrito Supreme® - Steak
Fiery Doritos® Double Decker® Taco Smothered Burrito - Shredded Chicken Cheesy Bean and Rice Burrito
Fiery Doritos® Locos Taco Smothered Burrito - Steak Chili Cheese Burrito
Fiery Doritos® Locos Taco Supreme XXL Grilled Stuft Burrito - Beef Loaded Taco Burrito
Grilled Steak Soft Taco XXL Grilled Stuft Burrito - Chicken Shredded Chicken Burrito
Nacho Cheese Doritos® Double Decker® Taco XXL Grilled Stuft Burrito - Steak Chicken Spicy Cheesy Core Burrito
Nacho Cheese Doritos® Locos Tacos Double Chalupa Steak Spicy Cheesy Core Burrito
Nacho Cheese Doritos® Locos Tacos Supreme Spicy Double Chalupa Beef Spicy Cheesy Core Burrito
Soft Taco Supreme® – Beef Nacho Fries Bellgrande Triple Melt Burrito
Soft Taco-Beef Nachos BellGrande® Nacho Crunch Double Stacked Taco
Spicy Potato Soft Taco Cantina Power Bowl - Steak Chalupa Supreme®–Beef
Chalupa Supreme® - Chicken Chickstar Wild Naked Chicken Chalupa
Chalupa Supreme® - Steak Crispy Chicken Quesadilla Mild Naked Chicken Chalupa
Fresco Bean Burrito Express Taco Salad w/ Chips Cheesy Gordita Crunch
Fresco Burrito Supreme® – Chicken Original Triple Double Crunchwrap Doritos® Cheesy Gordita Crunch - Cool Ranch
Fresco Burrito Supreme® – Steak Spicy Triple Double Crunchwrap Doritos® Cheesy Gordita Crunch - Fiery
Fresco Chicken Soft Taco Express Taco Salad w/ Chips Doritos® Cheesy Gordita Crunch - Nacho Cheese
Fresco Crunchy Taco Fiesta Taco Salad-Beef Double Cheesy Gordita Crunch
Fresco Grilled Steak Soft Taco Fiesta Taco Salad-Chicken Nachos Supreme
Fresco Soft Taco Fiesta Taco Salad-Steak Beefy Cheddar Crunchwrap Slider
Gordita Supreme® – Beef Beefy Nacho Griller
Gordita Supreme® - Chicken BLT Crunchwrap Slider
Gordita Supreme® - Steak Cantina Power Bowl - Chicken
Triple Layer Nachos Cantina Power Bowl - Veggie
Triple Melt Nachos Cheese Quesadilla
Beefy Mini Quesadilla Chicken Quesadilla
Cheese Roll-Up Chili Cheese Burrito
Chipotle Crispy Chicken Griller Crunchwrap Supreme®
Double Tostada Loaded Potato Griller
MexiMelt® Mexican Pizza
Shredded Chicken Mini Quesadilla Steak Quesalupa
Spicy Tostada Chicken Quesalupa
Beef Quesalupa
Spicy Chicken Crunchwrap Slider
Stacker
Steak Quesadilla

Matrix

What Should I Order?

Perhaps the most important thing to note is that there is not a single item on the Taco Bell menu with a cholesterol content higher than the suggested daily intake of 200 mg for those with health conditions. In some cases however, consuming more than one item quickly approaches that limit. When examining the 115 items on their menu, we separate them into three categories depending on their calories and cholesterol content. First, the “Low Calorie, Low Cholesterol” group is red on the scatter plot and tends to have a cholesterol content between 10 mg to 40 mg. These items also have a low calorie count, in the case that you’re looking to order a lighter meal. This cluster has an average calorie count of 250 and an average of 26 grams of cholesterol, making it the perfect option for anyone craving Taco Bell while maintaining a level of health-consciousness.

The second cluster, labeled “High Calorie, High Cholesterol Content” was given to this name due to it’s average cholesterol content of around 58 grams, with around 689 calories per item. However, it’s important to note that some options in this group have a low cholesterol content and a high calorie count. For example, the Cantina Power Burrito - Veggie is a great option for someone watching their cholesterol intake (10g) but wanting to increase their calorie intake (740cal). If you’re looking to pair an item from this group with another option, anything from “Low Calorie, Low Cholesterol” would be great!

Finally, the last cluster is blue on the graph and is titled “Mild Calorie, Mild Cholesterol Content”. Similar to the last group we spoke about, there is a lot of variability in the cholesterol content. With an average calorie content of 462, while containing an average of 40 grams of cholesterol, this is the best option for anyone seeking a happy medium!

Conclusion

Click a point on the map to learn more about the restaurant located there.

References